Priceline To Kill Off ‘Negotiator’ William Shatner In New Commercial

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Priceline will kill off its famed Negotiator, William Shatner, in a new 30-second commercial set to begin airing Monday.

In the spot, 80-year-old Shatner rescues frightened travelers from a bus teetering on the edge of a cliff before plunging to his own death.

“I’m in grief mode,” he told the Associated Press. “It’s not the first time I’ve had an iconic character die off.”

Shatner has been the face of Priceline for 14 years, but the company says an advertising change was necessary for their new business strategies.

“The challenge is harder to get people’s attention than it used to be,” Christopher Soder, CEO of Priceline.com North America, told AP. “So we decided to do something really over the top to get the message across.”